Advertising device.



N'o. 703,!02. Patented June 24, I902.

A. WASHINGTON & M. STANDIFUBD.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application filed Aug. 18, 1901.) (No Model.) .2 Sheets-Shag: I.

'No. 703,102. 7 Patented lune 24, I902.

A. WASHINGTON 81. M. STANDIFOBD.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1901.) (lolodeL) 2 SheetsSh'eet 2.

sea,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED \VASHINGTON AND MARCELLUS STANDIFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,102, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed August 16, 1901- Serial No. 72,231. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED \VASHING- TON and MARoELLUs STANDIFORD, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Devices,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to advertising devices, and resides more particularly in certain new and useful improvements in signholders and signs, such as are intended to be attached and fastened to posts, pillars, columns, or other vertical supports, and more particularly to such supports as are surrou nded by and form the back support of circular settees in hotel corridors, parlors, steamboatsaloons, and the like and which are arranged to allow the easy substitution of' one advertisement for another therein.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a post or pillar surrounded by a circular settee and having our invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the advertising device surrounding the post or pillar. Fig. 8 is a side elevation, somewhat enlarged, illustrating in detail one panel of the advertising device; and Fig. 4: is an enlarged perspective detail, broken away, illustrating the relative disposition and arrangement of the several elements of our invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates a pillar or post of considerable size, such as is found in hotel offices, parlors, the main saloons of steamboats, and similar places. It is a common and well-known practice to surround such pillars with a settee (indicated at 6) of circular form, this latter being provided with a suitable back 7, both the seat and back portions of the settee being suitably upholstered and more or less ornamented to give the same an attractive appearance.

In carrying out our invention we provide that portion of the post 5 which isjust above the back 7 of the settee with a surrounding frame, preferably of the polygonal shape shown in Fig. 2, this frame being adapted to contain and display the advertising matter and being so constructed as to permit the easy changing of such matter and the substitution of new matter for old at any time. Referring now to the detail construction of this frame and its contents, 8 designates a series of corner-posts for the frame, which are secured at regularly-spaced intervals in parallel vertical relation around the main central pillar 5. As herein shown, there are six of these posts, thus constituting a surrounding frame of hexagonal form and having six equal side panels. Each post 8 is provided with a series of obliquely-disposed rectangular cuts'or grooves 9 and 10, extending parallel and longitudinally thereof, said grooves being open at theirupper ends and being designed to receive the side edges of the several panels constituting elements of our improved display device. Referring more specifically to these grooves and their several functions, 9 designates the innermost groove, which receives the side edges of a thin metallic panel 11, constituting a back, and a card or series of cards 12, disposed upon and covering the outer face of the panel 11. These cards 12 are preferably made in uniform sizes, and eachpanel of the frame is designed to contain a series (here shown as four) of such cards, each card containing certain printed or painted matter constituting the advertisement on its outer face. The several cards of the series are designed to be separated from each other, as well as held in close relation to and against the backing-panel 11 by means of a series of transverse slideways 13, which latter, as shown in Fig. 4, may cheaply and conveniently be made of sheetmetal plates bent and doubled lengthwise thereof and secured to the backing 11 by means of pins or bolts 14 passing therethrough at suitably spaced intervals, The outer rounded faces of the slideways are of a Width considerably exceeding the inner shank portions thereof, as plainly shown in Fig.4,whereby said slideways afford on either side thereof suitable grooves adapted to receive and contain the upper and lower edges of adjacent cards 12, said cards being thus capable of sliding endwise into position between adjacent slideways, as hereinafter more fully described.

The vertical grooves 10 of the posts 8 are designed to receive the side edges of suitable transparent panels or plates 15, these latter lying against and covering the outer face portions of the slideways 13 and forming a complete covering and protection for the series of cards 12 lying therebehind. The glass plates 15 may be secured in place by any suitable or convenient means; but the preferred means herein shown consists of top and bottom strips 16 and 17, respectively, and side strips 18 and 19. The top strip 16, which may be provided with an ornamental design, as shown, overlies along, its lower edge the upper edge of the glass plate and has a pair of wings or extensions 16 and 16" bent at a suit able angle to permit them to lie flat against the upper ends of the outer faces of the posts 8, as best shown in Fig. 2. The bottom fastening-strip 17 is similarly constructed and applied,while the side strips 18 and 19 are secured to and upon the outer faces of the posts 8, between the bent wings or extensions of the upper and lower strips and having their inner longitudinal edges overlying the side margins of the glass plate 15. The inner edges of all four fastening-strips 16, 17, 18, and 19 are preferably beveled and mitered at their corners, as shown in Fig. 3. In connection with the construction and disposition of the bent wings or extensions 16 and 16" of the top fastening-strips it may be mentioned that these extensions are preferably so formed as that the extension at one end of a strip shall underlie the meeting extension of the strip at one side thereof,while the extension at the other end of the strip shall overlie the meeting extension of the strip at the other side thereof, as plainly shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing construction it will be seen that in order to load the several panels or to change the contents thereof and apply new advertising matter it is necessary only to raise the rear panel 11,with its connected cards 12 and slideways 13, elevating the same in the vertical grooves 9 from behind the glass plate 15 to the required height above the top fastening-strip 16,0r entirely withdrawing the same from its seat, whereupon the cards 12,containing the advertising matter to be displayed, may be slid laterally into position in front of the back panel 11 and between the slideways 13, whereupon the whole may be lowered or replaced into operative position behind the protecting-panel 15.

WVe are aware that display devices or signholders containing removable signs and adapted to be applied to posts, pillars, columns, or other vertical supports have heretofore been devised; but, so far as we are aware, our present invention is the first to embody a device of this character characterized by the simplicity and economy of construction and operation possessed by the device hereinabove described and having the construction and relative arrangement of cooperating parts or elements, as hereinabove set forth, where= by the removing and insertion of advertising matter may be expeditiously efiected by merely elevating the sign-holder in vertical grooves or guideways behind a stationary transparent protecting front plate or panel. We do not,therefore,limit ourinvention to the precise details of construction hereinabove set forth so long as this principle of operation, which we believe to be entirely novel with ourselves, is adhered to.

YVe claim as our invention- 1. An advertising device of the character described and adapted for application to a pillar or like vertical support, the same comprising a series of vertically-disposed cornerposts, each of which has a pair of longitudinal front and rear grooves in each side thereof, a series of vertically-slidable plates each provided with transverse double slideways at suitably-spaced intervals on its outer face, a series of horizontally-slidable cards containing the advertising matter to be displayed engaging at their top and bottom edges the slideways of the plates, and a series of transparent panels of like dimensions to the saidplates, each slidably engaging byits side margins the front grooves of adjacent corner-posts, said plates and their contained cards engaging by their vertical margins the rear grooves of the corner-posts, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an advertising device, a sign-holder panel, the same comprising a pair of vertical side supports each provided on that side which is nearest the other with front and rear longitudinal grooves, a plate provided with a series of transverse card-supports and vertically slidable within and between the rear grooves of said supports, a transparent plate also vertically slidable within and between the front grooves of said supports, and top and bottom transverse members uniting said vertical supports to form a rigid frame, substantially as described.

3. In a sign-holder panel for advertising devices, the combination with a plate adapted to receive thereon a series of cards or the like containing advertising matter, of a series of transverse card-supports applied to the outer face of said plate, each of said supports comprising a sheet-metal plate bent and doubled lengthwise thereof so as to present a T shape in cross-section and thus constitute a double slideway for the cards, and a series of pins passing through the outer face of each of said supports and between the overlying inwardlybent inner edge portions thereof and securing the same to the plate, substantially as described.

ALFRED VASHINGTON. MARCELLUS STANDIFORD.

WVit-nesses:

FREDERICK O. Goonwm, ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

